Relaxed Hair Thread

[LushLox]

Mini twists done! I hate the way they look when they're freshly done bc they're so scalpy. Planning to keep them in for at least 3-4 weeks.
View attachment 483561View attachment 483563

Looks fab! Although I don't know how you have the patience though, it must take hours!

I do the odd braid/twist out sometimes and I get irritated after 20 minutes lol.

 

[LushLox]

I am going to straighten and then trim tomorrow. I shouldn't need to take off too much, probably an inch but I say that every time and then end up taking off more!

 

[Theresamonet]

I spent the last few weeks cutting out all the SSKs I could find. My hair feels so much smoother. I hate those knots!

I wanted my hair relaxed straight because, like @MzSwift, I still had issues with fairy knots and also tangles, when I was tex-laxed before. I was trying to avoid that. But my hair is definitely not straight from root to mid shaft, only on the ends. It’s moreso kinky straight. I’m fine with that. My hair still looks and feels thick, even after cutting into it so much to get rid of the knots. I will post some wet and air dried pics after my next wash hour ( ) .

The stylist used Affirm normal on me. I’m actually not sure if it’s the conditioning one or the fiber guard. I will find out next time. Anyway, I love it. I thought Linange was my favorite. Nope, this is it. My hair feels more normal than it’s ever felt after being relaxed.

 

[LushLox]

I spent the last few weeks cutting out all the SSKs I could find. My hair feels so much smoother. I hate those knots!

I wanted my hair relaxed straight because, like @MzSwift, I still had issues with fairy knots and also tangles, when I was tex-laxed before. I was trying to avoid that. But my hair is definitely not straight from root to mid shaft, only on the ends. It’s moreso kinky straight. I’m fine with that. My hair still looks and feels thick, even after cutting into it so much to get rid of the knots. I will post some wet and air dried pics after my next wash hour ( ) .

The stylist used Affirm normal on me. I’m actually not sure if it’s the conditioning one or the fiber guard. I will find out next time. Anyway, I love it. I thought Linange was my favorite. Nope, this is it. My hair feels more normal than it’s ever felt after being relaxed.

I am such a cheerleader for Affirm. It's the best relaxer I've ever used, there's no horrible limp thinness; my hair has body every single time I relax. I think it's a lot of it is due to using that whole system and the pre-neutraliser protein process.

I need to get up and start this wash and DC, I'm procrastinating.

 

[LushLox]

I actually got to MBL, but I had to trim and, I had to take off quite a bit, so it's back to BSL I go. I'm pleased though, and with any luck I should be back there by the end of the year.

 

[secretdiamond]

Love to hear these relaxer stories!

Since my last post on my hair, I have cut several more inches. My front is now like cheek length, the sides are ear length and the back is in short layers, with the highest layer top of ear and the bottom layer right around chin length.

Here is the last pic I took after a big trim (July 2022), before I went back and started chopping my hair off. This was after working out and lightly combing it out. My ends seemed pretty frizzy on the left side in the pic and not holding the curl/bump as well as the right side. That's what started it all..with me cutting that part, then rest of the my hair.... I haven't taken an update pic yet, because I've only recently stopped cutting it.

 

[secretdiamond]

I spent the last few weeks cutting out all the SSKs I could find. My hair feels so much smoother. I hate those knots!

I wanted my hair relaxed straight because, like @MzSwift, I still had issues with fairy knots and also tangles, when I was tex-laxed before. I was trying to avoid that. But my hair is definitely not straight from root to mid shaft, only on the ends. It’s moreso kinky straight. I’m fine with that. My hair still looks and feels thick, even after cutting into it so much to get rid of the knots. I will post some wet and air dried pics after my next wash hour ( ) .

The stylist used Affirm normal on me. I’m actually not sure if it’s the conditioning one or the fiber guard. I will find out next time. Anyway, I love it. I thought Linange was my favorite. Nope, this is it. My hair feels more normal than it’s ever felt after being relaxed.

SSK's are exactly what made me leave being natural as early as I did. They drove me crazy!

I really liked Affirm, when I used it, too!

 

[Theresamonet]

I am such a cheerleader for Affirm. It's the best relaxer I've ever used, there's no horrible limp thinness; my hair has body every single time I relax. I think it's a lot of it is due to using that whole system and the pre-neutraliser protein process.

I need to get up and start this wash and DC, I'm procrastinating.

My mom and sister recently relaxed as well. We are all Affirm converts now. My sister swore by ORS Olive Oil, but she even admits that there’s a difference. It’s hard to describe what that is… The integrity of the hair is the same as when it was natural, just straightened out. I’m used to my hair being noticeably more fragile after relaxing. Thats not the case this time.

I also am used to having some excessive shedding in the first weeks after a relaxer. I was expecting to have to whip up my old shedding concoction, but nope. All good.

She did do a mid step protein treatment... Do you know if both the conditioning relaxer and the fiber guard have this step?

SSK's are exactly what made me leave being natural as early as I did. They drove me crazy!

I really liked Affirm, when I used it, too!

They are at the top of my list of reasons why I keep coming back to relaxed hair. There are a lot of beautiful things about natural hair, but I think I might be too much of a perfectionist to enjoy it. Speaking of which…

Your hair looks beautiful and full in the pic you posted. Is your hair actually acting up, or are you a perfectionist too? Whenever something looks off, I pick up the scissors. But I’m trying to finally reach my length goal. So I have to keep telling myself that every strand on my head isn’t going to be perfect in the process. Maintaining the overall health, and retaining length is my focus.

I made up that being your issue, sorry if I’m off base.

 

[secretdiamond]

They are at the top of my list of reasons why I keep coming back to relaxed hair. There are a lot of beautiful things about natural hair, but I think I might be too much of a perfectionist to enjoy it. Speaking of which…

Your hair looks beautiful and full in the pic you posted. Is your hair actually acting up, or are you a perfectionist too? Whenever something looks off, I pick up the scissors. But I’m trying to finally reach my length goal. So I have to keep telling myself that every strand on my head isn’t going to be perfect in the process. Maintaining the overall health, and retaining length is my focus.

I made up that being your issue, sorry if I’m off base.

Girl, you are absolutely correct. I'm a type A perfectionist with everything, but especially my hair. Funny you point this out because, as I cut...often times, I question the first bolded to myself. But, then, the perfectionist in me says "it's better to be safe than sorry."

Your post is right on time, too. Last night, I tried the Wow spray for the first time, so I used a flat iron on like 230 degrees, just to see if I had made progress in getting my ends back in shape. Well, my hair behaved slightly better but started to fall again. I was going to transition back to natural.
Frustrated, I trimmed some more, then whipped out my old curling iron, which was my go to back then. INSTANTLY my hair was back to what I was used to. So soft, shiny, shape holding, sleek. My hair was back! The curls are still there the next day.

Now, I'm feeling a little silly, sad, frustrated all at the same time because like you, I desperately wanted to reach by length goals (and did! before I cut) and realizing it may have been down to just using a hair tool that didn't work on my hair. Especially since I only noticed any issues when I wanted it styled.

The second bolded is what I really need to do! Being transparent, there is not one day I don't pick up my scissors to S&D. If I'm in front of any mirror, there are scissors in my hands. The shenanigans have got to stop because I'm self-sabotaging & setting my own self back.

 

[LushLox]

My mom and sister recently relaxed as well. We are all Affirm converts now. My sister swore by ORS Olive Oil, but she even admits that there’s a difference. It’s hard to describe what that is… The integrity of the hair is the same as when it was natural, just straightened out. I’m used to my hair being noticeably more fragile after relaxing. Thats not the case this time.

I also am used to having some excessive shedding in the first weeks after a relaxer. I was expecting to have to whip up my old shedding concoction, but nope. All good.

She did do a mid step protein treatment... Do you know if both the conditioning relaxer and the fiber guard have this step?



They are at the top of my list of reasons why I keep coming back to relaxed hair. There are a lot of beautiful things about natural hair, but I think I might be too much of a perfectionist to enjoy it. Speaking of which…

Your hair looks beautiful and full in the pic you posted. Is your hair actually acting up, or are you a perfectionist too? Whenever something looks off, I pick up the scissors. But I’m trying to finally reach my length goal. So I have to keep telling myself that every strand on my head isn’t going to be perfect in the process. Maintaining the overall health, and retaining length is my focus.

I made up that being your issue, sorry if I’m off base.

The Fibreguard one uses the Sustenance Fortifying Treatment

https://avlon.com/collections/fiberguard/products/fiberguard-sustenance-fortifying-treatment-step-

The Conditioning one uses Affirm 5 in 1

5 in 1 Reconstructor

With Argan Oil, Pequi Oil, Buriti Oil Amazing post-relaxer conditioner Normalizes hair after relaxing Deposits substantive conditioners deep within the hair fiber. Stylists' favorite! Step 3 Size: 16 fl. oz. and 32 fl. oz. Features Fortified with advanced conditioning agents Normalizes hair...

avlon.com

or

Positive Link

Positive Link Conditioner

With Argan, Pequi, and Buriti Oils Amazing post-relaxer conditioner Normalizes hair after relaxing while moisturizing and strengthening hair Step 3 Size: 16 and 32 oz. Features Penetrates deep into hair fiber making hair permanently conditioned, as it is being normalized. For Medium to Coarse...

avlon.com

I've never tried the Positive Link, so I've got no idea what that's like.

The initial outlay does sting a bit because it's a lot to buy in one time and it's not cheap. But then you'll get to the stage where you're just repurchasing the actual relaxer, which turns out to be only a couple of pounds/dollars more expensive than the kits.

____

Regarding your second point in bold, it's such a good point. I trimmed my hair, yesterday but it's not a blunt trim, which I do love, but I'm never going to get it completely blunt all the way around. My hair grows in a natural U so to get complete eveness, I'd have to hack off perfectly healthy hair and I'm just not prepared to do that just for a picture perfect aesthetic.

And my hair will eventually go right back to the U formation anyway so it would make little point. Better to just accept it and work with what I've got.

 

[LushLox]

Love to hear these relaxer stories!

Since my last post on my hair, I have cut several more inches. My front is now like cheek length, the sides are ear length and the back is in short layers, with the highest layer top of ear and the bottom layer right around chin length.

Here is the last pic I took after a big trim (July 2022), before I went back and started chopping my hair off. This was after working out and lightly combing it out. My ends seemed pretty frizzy on the left side in the pic and not holding the curl/bump as well as the right side. That's what started it all..with me cutting that part, then rest of the my hair.... I haven't taken an update pic yet, because I've only recently stopped cutting it.




View attachment 483679

Your hair is beautiful and thick, please stop cutting. I think it's fair to say that most of us are our own harshest critics, and as Theresamonet said it's going to be very hard and likely impossible to achieve perfect hair for every strand of hair.

Try not to stress over it so much and try to enjoy your hair at every length.

I was actually surprised that I got to MBL, because I've been stuck at BSL for quite a while now and I was starting to feel irritated with it all. So the last six months or so I just haven't really been that bothered. I've done my hair every week to my normal standard, but I don't take so many pictures now, and I stopped doing all of my hair journalling. I've just stopped being so consumed by hair overall, and just like that I reached the goal. Yes I had to cut back to BSL, but I'm back to BSL with good ends now (but far from perfect!). And I've made peace with it, it's just easier that way! lol

 

[Plushottie]

This chat has me really thinking maybe I should cut back on hair and maybe it will do something.

 

[Napp]

I’m thinking of trying this acid relaxer I saw. It looks interesting

 

[naturalpride]

I’m thinking of trying this acid relaxer I saw. It looks interesting

Interesting process but it seems very damaging to the hair. That stylist was combining her hair with a fine tooth comb while dry and did too many passes with the flat iron that were not needed.

What type of chemicals are in this relaxer. How is it maintained after the service.

 

[LushLox]

Yeah the stylist didn't need to use a fine tooth comb, she just opted to do that. I'm sure you could carry out the service without that kind of aggressive comb through. And I really cringed at the amount of times she used that flat iron smh. Although as I say that, it looks similar to the Brazilian hair straightening method where you do need to run the flat iron over each section like ten times to seal the product in.

I can't really get my head around using a straightening chemical on damp hair. But I know zero about the product so I would need to look at it a bit further.

Seems like you would need a professional license to get it, where would you buy it @Napp

 

[Napp]

Interesting process but it seems very damaging to the hair. That stylist was combining her hair with a fine tooth comb while dry and did too many passes with the flat iron that were not needed.

What type of chemicals are in this relaxer. How is it maintained after the service.

I still need to do more research on the product. I also don’t think the fine toothed comb or flat iron is necessary to relax the hair. It seems similar to Brazilian keratin in that way and in my experience not that many passes are needed to get a straight effect

 

[Napp]

Yeah the stylist didn't need to use a fine tooth comb, she just opted to do that. I'm sure you could carry out the service without that kind of aggressive comb through. And I really cringed at the amount of times she used that flat iron smh. Although as I say that, it looks similar to the Brazilian hair straightening method where you do need to run the flat iron over each section like ten times to seal the product in.

I can't really get my head around using a straightening chemical on damp hair. But I know zero about the product so I would need to look at it a bit further.

Seems like you would need a professional license to get it, where would you buy it @Napp

I have a professional license so I can buy it but even so it’s a bit expensive for something I’m not sure will work well with my hair

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

I've accepted the fact that I may or may not sustain some damage. My heaters are broken and the complex doesn't have the heat all the way on. I barely want to moisturize because I don't like having a cold head.

 

[sunnieb]

Love the conversations in here! I wanted to check in since I've been chatting with @Chicoro about going back to what worked for our hair in the very beginning of our hair journeys.

Reading through my old posts, I realized I've stopped doing too many things that helped me with maximum retention. So here's what I'll be adding back into my hair routine:

• Moisturizing AND sealing daily. I moisturize like a champ. Sealing is the problem. That's why my ends are frizzy! Duh! I used to seal with Castor oil. I don't have any, but used a knock off Vaseline brand (thanks @Chicoro) until I buy some. Woke up with smooth, sealed ends.
• I also used to M&S in sections. Need to go back to this. It ensured I was babying all of my ends. Not just the ones in the back.
• Cowash minimum of 3x a week. Say whuuuuut?! I forgot all about how often I used to cowash. I'm lucky to fit in once a week.
• Stretch relaxers to 16 weeks. I always felt I'd go back to stretching when my hair got a little longer. It's so easy to stretch with BSL+ hair. I used to wear braidouts and huge buns. Can't do all of that with my current length, but I can try to extend my relaxers from every 8 weeks slowly.

I think that's it for now. My products have had to change because my staples were discontinued, but that's OK. I'm in it for the long haul and want to have long hair again.

My routine will look complicated to some, but hey, when I'm able to slap folks with my TBL ponytail, it'll all be worth it!

 

[LushLox]

Love the conversations in here! I wanted to check in since I've been chatting with @Chicoro about going back to what worked for our hair in the very beginning of our hair journeys.

Reading through my old posts, I realized I've stopped doing too many things that helped me with maximum retention. So here's what I'll be adding back into my hair routine:

• Moisturizing AND sealing daily. I moisturize like a champ. Sealing is the problem. That's why my ends are frizzy! Duh! I used to seal with Castor oil. I don't have any, but used a knock off Vaseline brand (thanks @Chicoro) until I buy some. Woke up with smooth, sealed ends.
• I also used to M&S in sections. Need to go back to this. It ensured I was babying all of my ends. Not just the ones in the back.
• Cowash minimum of 3x a week. Say whuuuuut?! I forgot all about how often I used to cowash. I'm lucky to fit in once a week.
• Stretch relaxers to 16 weeks. I always felt I'd go back to stretching when my hair got a little longer. It's so easy to stretch with BSL+ hair. I used to wear braidouts and huge buns. Can't do all of that with my current length, but I can try to extend my relaxers from every 8 weeks slowly.

I think that's it for now. My products have had to change because my staples were discontinued, but that's OK. I'm in it for the long haul and want to have long hair again.

My routine will look complicated to some, but hey, when I'm able to slap folks with my TBL ponytail, it'll all be worth it!

Sounds like a great plan.

Moisturising and sealing in sections is a winner imo. I split the hair into 5 sections; I section off the middle bit because in that area, historically I've tended to neglect it, or I've just not able to get enough moisture to the section. I've come to the realisation that the traditional split into 4 sections doesn't work for me. It's more time and effort but since I've been doing that, the area has improved.

 

[sunnieb]

@LushLox when my hair was at its longest, I did 10-12 sections. Every. Single. Day. Didn't even think about it. I just did it.

 

[sunnieb]

You know how you buy things on a whim and totally forget about them?

I bought this Nexxus leave in spray at CVS a few weeks ago. I really don't remember when!

I didn't know they had this and I'd been looking for a detangling spray to help me when I start really doing longer relaxer stretches. I used it tonight after cowashing. I'll post about it when I have some good, tangly new growth to deal with. I'm only 5 weeks post now.

 

[starfish]

How do all of you feel about the recent study linking chemical straighteners to uterine cancer? One ingredient they called out was formaldehyde. Is that in relaxers? They also called out parabens, metals, and bisphenol. Here's the press release from the NIH and a link to the actual study.

Monday, October 17, 2022

Hair straightening chemicals associated with higher uterine cancer risk​

NIH study finds Black women may be more affected due to higher use.


>Women who used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using these products, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers found no associations with uterine cancer for other hair products that the women reported using, including hair dyes, bleach, highlights, or perms.

The study data includes 33,497 U.S. women ages 35-74 participating in the Sister Study, a study led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of NIH, that seeks to identify risk factors for breast cancer and other health conditions. The women were followed for almost 11 years and during that time 378 uterine cancer cases were diagnosed.

The researchers found that women who reported frequent use of hair straightening products, defined as more than four times in the previous year, were more than twice as likely to go on to develop uterine cancer compared to those who did not use the products.

“We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70; but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%,” said Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author on the new study. “This doubling rate is concerning. However, it is important to put this information into context - uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.”

Uterine cancer accounts for about 3% of all new cancer cases but is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system, with 65,950 estimated new cases in 2022. Studies show that incidence rates of uterine cancer have been rising in the United States, particularly among Black women.

Approximately 60% of the participants who reported using straighteners in the previous year were self-identified Black women, according to the study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Although, the study did not find that the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer incidence was different by race, the adverse health effects may be greater for Black women due to higher prevalence of use.

“Because Black women use hair straightening or relaxer products more frequently and tend to initiate use at earlier ages than other races and ethnicities, these findings may be even more relevant for them,” said Che-Jung Chang, Ph.D., an author on the new study and a research fellow in the NIEHS Epidemiology Branch.

The findings are consistent with prior studies showing straighteners can increase the risk of hormone-related cancers in women.

The researchers did not collect information on brands or ingredients in the hair products the women used. However, in the paper they note that several chemicals that have been found in straighteners (such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde) could be contributing to the increased uterine cancer risk observed. Chemical exposure from hair product use, especially straighteners, could be more concerning than other personal care products due to increased absorption through the scalp which may be exacerbated by burns and lesions caused by straighteners.

“To our knowledge this is the first epidemiologic study that examined the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer,” said White. “More research is needed to confirm these findings in different populations, to determine if hair products contribute to health disparities in uterine cancer, and to identify the specific chemicals that may be increasing the risk of cancers in women.”

This team previously found that permanent hair dye and straighteners may increase breast and ovarian cancer risk.

Grant Numbers: Z01-ES044005, Z1AES103332-01

About the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS): NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of the National Institutes of Health. For more information on NIEHS or environmental health topics, visit https://www.niehs.nih.gov or subscribe to a news list.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

References​

Che-Jung Chang, Katie M. O’Brien, Alexander P. Keil, Symielle A. Gaston, Chandra L. Jackson, Dale P. Sandler, Alexandra J. White. Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djac165 (2022).

 

[MzSwift]

@starfish

I've been seeing these headlines and this is what I gleamed from the study:

“We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70; but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%,” said Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author on the new study. “This doubling rate is concerning. However, it is important to put this information into context - uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.”


1.64% vs 4.05%.
So I read it as only a less than 3% increase in instances of uterine cancer, which is a rare type of cancer in and of itself. And I believe a different article I read mentioned that the <3% increase was in women who used the chemicals more than 4x a year.

Cancer is nothing to mess with and my grandmother died from uterine cancer, so I'm not dismissing the findings. I'm just not alarmed by them.

 

[sunnieb]

@starfish there's a lot of "may be" "could be" and other inconclusive verbiage in that study. I get it though and appreciate the reference and like that they performed the study.

However, I think black women overall don't take care of themselves, especially their healthcare. Regular doctor visits are essential to catching conditions and diseases before they get out of control. I can't tell you the number of women in my own family who don't even go to the dentist. Forget about going to an OB/GYN or primary care physician regularly. Breast exams and mammograms? Every once in a while if that.

So, my honest opinion is that it's a deeper issue than just relaxer=cancer. And cancer is a very personal issue for me. A close relative died from ovarian cancer. Another just successfully fought off breast cancer. The relative who died never used relaxer. The one who's still alive relaxes every 3 months. Who knows if there's any correlation?

I'm going to relax until I decide not to. Which doesn't look like it's going to be anytime soon.

 

[MzSwift]

Captain's log 1134529... lol, just kiddding!

Yesterday, I took my mini twists down and detangled. They were in for 3 weeks. I like to only keep my PSs in 3-4 weeks so it's on schedule. Prepped my hair for cornrows. I plan to stay cornrowed pretty much all winter. They'll stay under a men's satin skull cap 95% of the time. I throw on a bandana around the houseor a curly wig if I go out somewhere. I might throw in some crochet twists at times but I really want to have access to my scalp and the ability to frequently wet my hair.

Today, I used Suave moisturizing deep moisture shampoo (something new) instead of my clarifying poo. And I used Loreal's 8-Minute water tx (new product) followed by a nickel-sized amount of leave in and let my hair air dry after towel drying for a bit. Feels soft. Still not loving the way this relaxer has my hair feeling, it feels..weird.

I like the Loreal bc it's cheaper ($9) than my Moremo tx ($22-30) and seems to work just the same. It also smells good, not as good as Moremo, but both are very perfumey,

vs

I tend to use the water tx when I wear my hair in my mini-braids/twists bc I don't tuck my ends when I wear them. I typically cleanse or rinse my braids/twists daily, slather on leave-in condish and then pull them back onto a ponytail. I use the water treatment once or twice a week after cleasing because it's only a 10 second tx and so easy to do. And wow, does my hair smell sooo good!! I love good smelling hair.

Anyway, super excited to be getting back to cornrows bc my hair retains so much when I KISS and leave it alone. Looking forward to my one-year progress!

 

[LushLox]

I've not used my Moremo for about six months but I recall how soft it made my hair and melted my tangles. It certainly is something that you can use in a pinch when you don't have a lot of time. And it really doesn't feel like you're skimping on conditioning either.

 

[sunnieb]

I'm really seeing a difference in my hair as I go back to my original hair routine from when I first joined LHCF. It's manageable, less tangly, and soft. No wonder I was able to do long relaxer stretches.

I'm so glad I posted so much back then. All I have to do is follow the path I already laid out. I'm still missing some of my old products that were discontinued, but I can mimic the routine and I should get the same results.

Only time will tell.

 

[sunnieb]

Never heard of Moremo. Thanks for talking about it @MzSwift.

 

[starfish]

@starfish there's a lot of "may be" "could be" and other inconclusive verbiage in that study. I get it though and appreciate the reference and like that they performed the study.

However, I think black women overall don't take care of themselves, especially their healthcare. Regular doctor visits are essential to catching conditions and diseases before they get out of control. I can't tell you the number of women in my own family who don't even go to the dentist. Forget about going to an OB/GYN or primary care physician regularly. Breast exams and mammograms? Every once in a while if that.

So, my honest opinion is that it's a deeper issue than just relaxer=cancer. And cancer is a very personal issue for me. A close relative died from ovarian cancer. Another just successfully fought off breast cancer. The relative who died never used relaxer. The one who's still alive relaxes every 3 months. Who knows if there's any correlation?

I'm going to relax until I decide not to. Which doesn't look like it's going to be anytime soon.

Agreed. It is what it is and I will continue to relax. That attorney Ben Crump said products should be pulled from the shelf. Now hold on wait a minute brother stop right there